2009-02-21 I have heard various people (even on this trip) make reference to "The South" and attempt to attribute it with different social, economic or geographic qualities. Here is Dave Johnson's definition of "The South": The South is that region of the United States where road-kill armadillos are plentiful. Unlike my last big bike trip this time I have avoided the morbid fascination of counting road-kill. However, deer seem to be in the lead--even ahead of opossum. But today in southern South Carolina I started coming across squashed specimens of armadillos. (Also, oddly enough, I came across two road-kill owls right next to each other in Georgia; how weird is that?) Armadillos! I am truly in The South. By the way, I have finally vacated South Carolina for Georgia. One thing I noticed right away is the lack of litter. I swear nobody in all of South Carolina has respect for their state. Garbage is everywhere. (Though not as bad as I remember in Kentucky.). Georgia so far is nearly spotless. I hope the trend continues. Not only does it improve the scenery, but I am not so likely to scan the gutters for road swag all the time. Tonight I've found myself a nice patch of woods a quarter-mile from a barking dog (again) and about fifty yards from some agitated deer. Last night's sleeping on the ground worked so well I decided I'd do it again. It occurs to me that the hammock is really only necessary when there are bugs or rain.

road swag welcome to Georgia